Gas main stopper



March 16, 1937. W. w. GARDNER 2,073,740

` GAS MAIN sToPPER Filed June 1s, 1935 Y 2 sheets-shet gg 65 f Marchls,1937. AWW.GARDNER d 2,073,740l

GAS MAIN STOPPER Filed June 18, 1955 2 srieetssheet 2 Patented Mar. i6,1937 WdUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 18,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements inv gasmain Stoppers.

One object of'this invention-is to provide an improved gas-main stopperadapted to be quickly `5 inserted in and removed from apgas-main.

Another objectl of thisinvention is to provide an improved gas-mainstopper, so constructed as to be reliable and eicient in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide =l an improved gas-mainstopper formed of sirnple elements readily manufactured Yand readilyassembled to produce a durable and eiiicient construction at minimumcost.

With the above and other objects in View, this 15 invention includes allimprovements over the prior art which are -disclosed in thisapplication.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certainways of carrying out theinvention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Figfl is a frontelevation of a gas-main stopper constructed inaccordance with this invention, with the stopper-member indicated indotted lines in the protector-case;

Fig. `2 is a right-side elevation, partly in sec- 125 tion, of Fig. 1,with the diaphragm construction drawn upward within the tube;

Fig. `3 is a front elevation of the lower portion of the gas-mainstopper, with the protector-case removed and the diaphragm constructionshown in expanded operative relation in a gas-main;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, central, sectional View through the gas-mainstopper, with the protectr-case omitted and with the parts shown in thepositions indicated in Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View on line 6;-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 'I is a transverse sectional view on line 1--1 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the piston-body;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the spring-connecting block; and

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the spring-com necting block.

In the description and claims, the various parts are identified byspecic names for convenience, but theyare intended to-v be` as genericin their application as the prior art will permit.

The tube is screw-threaded at 2l Iat its lower end, for screw-threadedconnection in a .correspondingly-threaded hole in a gas-main 22 (Fig.3). A cap 23 is threadedly secured to the upper 365 endoi the tube. 2U,-and preferably is also sweated 1935, serial No. 27,183

to firmly secure the cap in position. A venthole 34 extends through theparts 23 and 23.

Slidably tting in the cylindrical opening 25 of the tube 2|] is pistonmeans including a piston 26 having screw-threadedly or otherwiseconnected thereto a hollow or tubular piston-rod 21.

Lubricant-passages 28 and 29 lead angularly outward from the centralopening 3U in the piston 2t to the outer cylindrical surface 3| of thepiston adjacent the inner cylindrical surface 25 of thetube 20. Thelower inner endV of the tube 20 is provded with an annular chamfereddownwardly-flared surface 32.

The piston 26 is provided with two bosses 33 and 34, spaced apart toprovide a central slot 35. Extending across and secured in holes 36 inthe bosses are pins 31 and 38, which serve as pivots for the upper endsof the bowed springs 39 and 40. The lower ends of the bowed springs 39 Yand vAll) are pivoted on pins 4I and 42 which are respectively securedin pairs of spaced-apart ears 43 and 44 of a spring-connecting block 45.A cylindrical rod 46 is secured in a corresponding opening in the upperend of the block 45 by means of a drive t and/or a pin-connection 4l.

The tube 48 is provided with a vent-opening 43a and has a sliding t onthe rod 43, and is iirmly secured in the piston 23 in any suitable wayas, for example, by vmeans of a drive t in a corresponding opening 49 inthe piston. A loop of felt 50, which may, if desired, be splicedtogether in any suitable way as at 5l, forms a continuous loop extendingall along the outer surfaces or sides of both springs 39 and 40 and`along the bottom of the member 45, and across through the slot in thepiston 26, and has a hole so it can be slid down over the tube 48. Thesprings 33 and and the felt loop or ring 5D are covered by a diaphragm52 formed of leather or other suitable material. The leather of thediaphragm may be stitched along the lines 53 to enclose the felt andsprings, as shown in Fig. 6. The upper end 54` of the diaphragm 52 isfirmly secured against the boss 33 by means of a string 55 tied aroundthe curved grooves 56 in the bosses 33 and 34, to make the diaphragm 52gas-tight against the passage of gas from one side to the other ofthediaphragm when in place in a gas-main. The springs 29 and 40 anddiaphragm 52 form the m'ainparts of what may be called plug means.

The upper endrof the hollow or tubular pis- .ton-rod 21 extends outthrough a cylindrical opening 5l in the cap 23, and has its upper endscrew-threadedly connected, and preferably also sweated, in acorresponding screw-threaded opening in the handle 58. The center-bodyof the handle 58 is provided with a screw-threaded opening 59 in whichscrew-threadedly fits a lubricant-feeding screw Bil. The hollowpistonrod 2l is preferably lled with lubricant, such as grease, and byturning down the screw 6U, the grease can be compressed and forced outthrough the openings 28 and 29, and around the annular groove 6| of thepiston to thus lubricate the juxtaposed surfaces of the piston andcylinder, and also, during reciprocation of the piston, to carrylubricant to the chamfered annular surface 32.

In connecting the piston-rod and related parts together, care is takento have the handle 58 extend in parallelism with the central planeextending through the members 39, 40, 46 and 48, so that when thestopper is to be applied to a gas-main, the position of the handle 58will act as a guide to the proper locating of the diaphragm across thegas-main.

For the purpose of protecting the plug means and leaving the bowedsprings 39 and 40 in substantially-unstressed condition, a hollowprotector-case 62 is used which may, if desired, be mainly formed ofsheet-metal and have a screwthreaded ring 63 at its upper end adapted toscrew on the screw-thread of the tube 20.

In order to apply the protector-case in position, the handle 58 is firstpulled upwardly to draw the entire diaphragm construction up within thetube to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the protector-case 62 isscrewed in place on the threads 2l on the lower end of the tube 20,after which the handle 58 is pressed down to force the diaphragmconstruction including the bowed springs 39 and 49, to the p0- sitionshown in Figs. l and 4, in which position the bowed springs aresubstantially unstressed and yet are completely protected against injuryof any kind for normal transportation and storing of the device.

When the device is to be applied in use, the handle 58 is pulledupwardly to withdraw the diaphragm construction within the tube 20 inthe position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the protector-case 62 isunscrewed and removed. 'I'he screw-threaded end 2l of the tube 2D isthen screwed into the corresponding screw-threaded opening in a gas-main22 (Fig. 3), whereupon the handle 58 is arranged crosswise of thegasmain 22 to insure the proper positioning of the diaphragmconstruction, whereupon the handle 56 is pushed downwardly until thelower end of the diaphragm construction engages against the insidebottom surface 54 of the gas-main. As the handle is pushed still furtherdown, the telescoping parts 115 and 48 slide together and the bowedsprings are forced to bow outwardly and thrust the felt'and its leatherdiaphragm into rm engagement with the cylindrical inner surface of thegas-main 22. In order to limit the movement of the handle downward tojust the proper distance, a limit-ring or collar S5 is rmly secured inproper position to the piston 26 by means of a set-screw 65. Thus, whenthe limit-ring 65 engages against the top surface of the cap 23, theoperator knows that the diaphragm is in properly located and expandedposition. The piston is then locked in its proper position by means ofthe thumb-screw 6'! which is screw-threadedly carried by the cap 23.

When the operations which are to be performed upon the gas-main arecompleted, the

thumb-screw 6l is loosened and the handle 58 is pulled upwardly,whereupon as the leather surface of the diaphragm covering the felt 5Uengages against the annular chamfered surface 32 and the lubricant whichwill be thereon, the bowed springs 39 and 40 are sprung toward oneanother so as to permit the collapsed diaphragm construction to becompletely drawn up in the tube 2B, to the position shown in Fig. 2.When the diaphragm construction is in this completely withdrawn andprotected position, the tube 20 is then unscrewed from the gas-main 22,whereupon the protector-case 62 is screwed in place on the threaded end2| of the tube 20, and the handle is then again pushed down to bring thebowed springs 39 and 40 into their unstressed position shown in Figs. 1and 4.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than thoseherein set forth without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments aretherefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A gas-main stopper including: a tube adapted to have its lower endconnected in an opening in a gas-main with the axis of said tubeextending transversely of the axis of the gas-main; piston meansincluding a tubular piston-rod and a piston, said piston lbeing slidablein said tube and having a lubricant-passage leading to a. locationadjacent the inner surface of said tube; plug means including a pair ofsprings having their upper ends pivotally connected to said piston meansand their lower ends pivotally connected together, said springs whenunstressed being oppositely-outwardly bowed a distance substantiallygreater than the internal diameter of said tube; said tubular piston-rodbeing connected to said pistony with the tubular passage of thepiston-rod communicating with said lubricant-passage, and said tubularpiston-rod extending out through the upper end of said tube.

2. In a gas-main stopper including a tube adapted to have its lower endconnected in an opening in a gas-main with the axis of said tubeextending transversely of the axis of the gasmain, and piston meansslidable in said tube, and plug means including a pair of springs havingtheir upper ends pivotally connected to said piston means and theirlower ends pivotally connected together, and said springs whenunstressed being oppositely-outwardly bowed a distance substantiallygreater than the internal diameter of said tube, and said piston meansextending out through the upper end of said tube: means for protectingsaid plug means when not in operative position, comprising aprotectorcase having a maximum internal diameter substantially greaterthan the internal diameter of said tube and adapted to be detachablyattached at the lower end of said tube and house said plug means withsaid springs in approximately unstressed condition.

3. In a gas-main stopper including a tube having its lower endscrew-threaded for connection in a screw-threaded opening in a gas mainwith the axis of said tube extending transversely of the axis of thegas-main, and piston means slidable in said tube, and plug meansincluding a pair of springs having their upper ends pivotally connectedto said piston means and their lower ends pivotally connected together,and said springs when unstressed being oppositely-outwardly bowed adistance substantially greater than the internal diameter of said tube,and said piston means extending out through the upper end of said tube:means for protecting said plug means when not in operative position,comprising a protector-case having a maximum internal di-` ametersubstantially greater than the internal diameter of said tube andadapted to be screwthreadedly detachably attached to said screwthreadedlower end of said tube and house said plug means with said springs inapproximately unstressed condition.

4. A gas-main stopper including: a tube adapted to have its lower endconnected in an opening in a gas-main with the axis of said tubeextending transversely of the axis of the gas-main; piston meansslidable in said tube and having lubricant passage means adapted todeposit lubricant on the inner surface of said tube: plug meansincluding a pair of springs having their upper ends pivotally connectedto said piston means and their lower ends pivotally connected together,said springs when unstressed being oppositely-outwardly bowed a distancesubstantially greater than the internal diameter of said tube; saidpiston means being adapted to extend out through the upper end of said'tube and having a tubular passage communicating with saidlubricant-passage means.

WILLIS W. GARDNER.

